A Twist in Time
by Anandi
Summary: Sinbad and Doubar hunt down an old nemesis and during the watch of the night, Maeve falls through an ancient time portal that whisks her away to an earlier time where she encounters a younger, brasher Sinbad, serving as a cabin boy under the terrible Captain Ghalib. With the depletion of her powers, Maeve must convince Sinbad to help her find the portal before it closes up forever!
1. Messenger in the Night

**Chapter 1: Messenger in the Night**

The great waters of the Tigris flowed magnificently along the steeped banks of the City of Baghdad. It was a night like any other and the waters were peaceful calm, their surface as still as a reflecting mirror revealing the image of the moon and stars in the sultry Arabian sky. The City was fast asleep. Just when the last candle burnt out its feeble flame on the narrow window-sill, a strange low rumble began and resounded through the tiny, winding lanes. The Palace horse tore through the streets in full gallop egged on by its rider in urgent distress. The pounding hoof steps awakened many a street-dweller who fumbled out of his shrouds to see the queer sight.

A knock, which threatened to break down the stout wooden door brought the inn-keeper down in tumultuous haste. The inn-keeper unlatched the locks and stepped back wide-eyed as the imposing form of the messenger from the Palace filled the door frame.  
**"Where is Captain Sinbad?",** he bellowed, loud enough to be heard right across the street. Outside, the lights appeared at the windows and anxious faces peeped out to determine the source of the midnight clamor.

"I am here", answered Sinbad, swiftly descending the inn stairs. His eyes sensed trouble and his right hand wavered readily upon the hilt of his sword. He noticed the royal insignia on the stranger's vest and slackened his pace in surprise. "The Caliph's messenger!"  
"The Royal Caliph of Baghdad has requested your presence at the Palace, Captain Sinbad. You and your crew are to come at once!", barked the messenger, ending his announcement with a tight bow.  
Sinbad looked mildly bemused. Obviously it had to be something really big for the Caliph to fetch him like this in the middle of the night. Doubar, Firouz, Rongar and Maeve gathered behind him, stirred from their slumber by the commotion.  
"Well, you heard the man!", chimed Sinbad, alertly. "We have a mysterious appointment with the Caliph. Let's not waste any time!"

* * *

Dermott gave an impatient screech. He took to the air and made a slow circle above the deserted moon-lit Court. His eyes shrewdly absorbed every detail in the room. The hawk finally settled on his perch up a high sill just above the throne. Maeve stifled a quiet yawn and waited silently beside Doubar and Firouz. Sinbad paced steadily across the tiles. A few servants padded noiselessly down the great Hall, lighting large torches and fixing them at strategic locations that best afforded visibility. The Caliph arrived, dressed in a simple tunic, without his turban and accompanied only by his closest aide. He sat down wearily upon his throne, looking haggard and his brow lined in sorrow.  
"Sinbad, I know this is a late hour to have dragged you out here-",he began, with customary formality but Sinbad quickly interrupted him.  
"Sire, we know that you would call us here only in the face of utmost , tell us...What harm has befallen our kingdom?"  
The Caliph's eyes softened in gratitude upon hearing Sinbad's gracious words."My son Casib and his brothers were on a sea voyage a few moons ago,Sinbad. They were overseeing the transport of precious cargo - gold, piles of it, as payment for the debts owed by the Sultans in the eastern territories. There were three ships in all - the finest vessels that money could buy made by the most skillful hands in Yemen"  
Sinbad listened, his head tilted forward and his eyes in narrow slits, intently hanging on to Caliph's every word.  
_"Then in the blink of an eye, the ships were wiped out!"_  
The crew stared aghast at one another.  
"Three of my sons escaped, along with a few members of the crew but the ships were ground to bits, washed up like driftwood on some isolated strip of sand-" The Caliph's voice trembled with grief and anger. "There were three hundred men,Sinbad.. three hundred men! _And only twenty survived!_ An unspeakable tragedy!"  
Sinbad gazed open-mouthed as he struggled to imagine the horror of the survivors."Why did I not hear of this before?",he mumbled.  
"One of the crew, managed to survive in deep sea long enough to be rescued by a passing boat. He arrived just now. His family could hardly get news out of him-"  
"I see.. Did he give any description at all of the enemy that attacked them?"  
The Caliph took a deep breath and nodded to his aide. The minister beckoned a guard who pulled a cowering man into their presence.  
"Err.. the trial seems to have robbed him of his wits but upon closer inspection you will find he bears the clue to the enemy's identity"  
The guard released his unwilling captive and the man immediatly curled down on the floor in a frightened heap. His hands shook hard as he clutched them about his head and his eyes squeezed tight in terror. He whined pitifully as if he were about to receive a flogging.  
"His name is Tawfiq. He was in the same ship as my son Casib during the night of the attack"  
Sinbad knelt down and took hold of Tawfiq's wrists in a steady grip. He endeavored to pull the man up to a sitting position."Tawfiq,my brave friend, you have made it this far. There is no need to be afraid any longer. Tell us of-"  
Sinbad stopped in shock. He peered down on the man's head and gasped. There was a dark red patch burned deep into the quivering man scalp right above the base of his neck.  
**"By the seas!",**cried Doubar, incredulously.** "Sinbad!"**  
_"It can't be!",_ said Sinbad in a stunned tone of voice.  
Firouz picked up a torch from nearby and calmly dropped down on his knees beside Sinbad. He gently parted Tawfiq's hair. "The hair has been scorched with precision and something like a branding iron has been used to scar this poor man for life! What monster could have done this?"  
"I have only heard tales-",said Doubar, shaking his head in disbelief. "Sinbad is the only one who has actually seen him before-"  
"Aye",nodded Sinbad, still speechless with astonishment. "But I thought he had perished.. long ago- The seas were free of his cruelty and dominance for so many years!"  
"Looks like he is haunting them once again,little brother"  
"He is a ghost?",questioned Maeve, speaking up for the first time. Her eyebrows arched upwards quizzically.  
"Hardly, by the looks of it",said Sinbad, breathing hard and rising up to his feet to address the Caliph. "Your Highness, the demon who did this is the pirate lord known by many names in the Seven Seas. I believe the most popular one is Nazaar"  
"The evil-eye of Nazaar",wailed the Caliph. His spirt was shattered entirely. "We are doomed,Sinbad!"  
"Be of good courage, your Highness.", comforted Sinbad."For Nazaar still has to face Sinbad if he is to venture into the waters of Baghdad. His cruelty will be put an end to..once and for all-"  
"Brave words,Captain Sinbad!",cried the Caliph, struggling to place his faith in the sailor. "Ohhh, I wish my Vizier DimDim were here to aid you! Alas, he remains hidden in obscurity!" The Caliph gazed in a mixture of sadness and pride at the bowed head of Sinbad as the Captain prostrated himself before the throne. "I pray fervently for your safety and the safety of your ship. May you slaughter Nazaar for the lives he has taken! You are Baghdad's last shining hope!"  
Sinbad nodded once and with a look of steely determination, he hastened quickly with his crew to ready the Nomad for battle ahead.

* * *

Maeve glanced at her cloak once and decided to let it stay folded in her cupboard. The air was pleasantly warm, even if it was the middle of the night!. From the shuffle of feet above, she discerned that Sinbad was getting his crew ready in a great hurry. She was still in the dark about the sudden appearance of the mysterious Nazaar. _Who was this pirate-lord? And why did the Caliph fear him?_ Maeve felt a shiver run down her spine. _"Brother, I have a bad feeling about this-",_she said to Dermott in a soft whisper. She made her way up on deck and stood next to Sinbad. The latter acknowledged her presence with a nod but it seemed to Maeve that there were a lot of things weighing the Captain's mind that hindered him from discoursing freely with her on the subject of Nazaar. Understanding his silence, she moved to Doubar who maintained his resolute stance at the tiller.  
"Doubar, exactly who are we up against?", she ventured, cautiously.  
Doubar started to reply. Then he stiffened and glared past Maeve at the curious face of a sailor who had paused his work with the rigging to listen in on the conversation. "Look alive there, sailor! Or do you want to incur the Captain's wrath upon your sloppy powers of concentration?!"  
Stung by the harsh rebuke, the man lowered his eyes to the ropes. He tied the last few knots and pushed away.  
Doubar shook his head. "We could do without false rumors, Maeve. Even the mention of Nazaar's name strikes fear into the hearts of the bravest of men-"  
_"Who is he?"_

"Well on a night much like this, a mighty sea vessel set out on her maiden voyage from Aquaba along with her passengers and her cargo holds bursting with heavy shipments of spices, silk, ivory and gold. She was headed for the Indian Seas to trade with the Eastern Countries. Then suddenly, mid-voyage, out of nowhere, a mysterious fog crept up upon the vessel. The man at the crow's nest shouted that there was a black presence lurking just up ahead but that was all the information he could give . It was too dark and misty to see clearly. The captain strained hard, struggling to identify something.. anything.. a hulk of blackness, a looming mass. anything... anything at all... Soon,he heard unnaturally high-pitched voices of sailors laughing through the mists... they seemed to arise from all directions around the ship like devils! But he could hardly make out anything in the fog that was growing thicker all the time!"  
Doubar stopped and hesitated a little.  
"Go on,Doubar",pressed Maeve, hardly able to contain the wild beating of her heart. "What happened then?"  
"The ship was destroyed. Stem to stern, reduced to flotsam floating on the foamy waves. Most people on board died instantly. Of course, Nazaar always left his calling card on a hapless few. Signs of his queer sense of humor I suppose. He ruled the high seas, swallowing ship after ship in endless hunger. _They say his hideaway is built on foundations of gold!_ No one dared challenge his dominance! His blade was quicker and swifter than the talons of a giant Roc. His evil eye inspiring madness in his victims. But... there was justice in the end! His ruthlessness and tyranny eventually became the reason for a powerful curse being placed upon him"  
"A curse?"  
"Aye. His heart was black with evil and greedy to the rotten core! Somewhere in his dirty line of work, he incurred a terrible curse upon himself. His death was to come slowly, his blood turning day by day to poison. But Nazaar was not to be outdone so easily! He still had tricks up his sleeve. He knew the one thing that would save him or at least extend his life by ten to twelve years- the perspiring horn of a karkadann!"  
Maeve drew a sharp intake of breath.  
"The karkadann was a monster, merciless in hunting down his enemies and stomping them to death. But the man who could challenge its fierceness and bring back even a broken tip of the horn could rejuvenate the dying Nazaar. The cursed pirate-lord would combine the perspiration of the healing horn with a life-extending incantation which he learned from a dark master and he could live for another ten to twelve years!"  
"How did Sinbad come to know of Nazaar?"  
"You better hear that tale from Sinbad himself! You remember I told you he captained his first ship at fifteen?"  
"Well,yes.."  
_"That was after a battle with a karkadann!"_  
With such an enigmatic end to the hair-raising tale, Doubar handed over the tiller to Rongar who was next in turn for the nightly watch and joined Sinbad to plot the course to meet Nazaar. Maeve stared pathetically after him, feeling torn apart by raging excitement and fear. She wondered about Nazaar even more. In feverish desire to satisfy her all-consuming curiosity, the sorceress even considered barging into the brothers' conversation and demand a complete and satisfactory explanation. But she knew she would have to wait. Sinbad was the right one to continue the tale! She must remain patient. It would be worth the wait! Yet what a terrible wait it was going to be!


	2. Portal to the Past

**Chapter 2 : Portal to the Past**

_"What a strange and lonely place-",_mused Maeve to no one in particular as her eyes traced the scanty coastline of their destination. There appeared trees in a careless line as if to grudgingly satisfy the minimum requirements of an island view. Her words fell on Firouz's ears and the inventor lingered beside her to share her opinion of the unsavory scene. As the Nomad drew closer, one could see that the same trees were infected with disease. Their branches were gnarled into hideous shapes and the ground was covered in clumps of wet, dead leaves. A large brooding mountain seemed to rise just beyond an uninviting patch of forest ground.

"How does Sinbad know exactly where to look for this pirate-lord?", hissed Firouz, in a confiding whisper.

**"He's been here before.",** boomed out Doubar's voice causing the inventor to jump out of his skin. "That was ten to twelve years ago, the time when he thought he had ended Nazaar's evil reign for good!"

"Well I hope things will be different this time around!Just the sight of this doomed place gives me the willies!"

* * *

Maeve recounted her previous journeys with Sinbad and his crew. Had any of them even remotely resembled this ongoing tiresome yet fascinating hunt for the elusive hiding place of Nazaar? Wading through the waist-high grasses of the slopes and crawling through a snuggly fitting system of tunnels underneath the cursed forest floor! Their sole reprieve came in the form of a small rock pool replenished by the bubbling waters of an underground spring. The small party gathered around this miracle with unspoken gratitude. The sorceress stretched out her legs. She braced herself against the cool black surface of a misshapen mountain boulder. Her feet were sore and aching very badly. She felt a soft footfall beside her. It was Sinbad. "Why all this secrecy?", demanded Maeve, bluntly. "Are you expecting an ambush in these forsaken woods?"

"Not an ambush...No",replied Sinbad,uneasily.

Maeve squinted her eyes and shook her head. "I sense evil strongly here.. all around us._ I can feel it!"_

"I feel it too",answered Sinbad,grimly. "The reason why Nazaar is unlike any pirate to have ever terrorised the seas is because he is a practitioner of black magic-"

"Doubar told me of his incantations. You have come against Nazaar before!"

"That was many years ago, Maeve. But I remember it as if it happened just yesterday-" Sinbad's eyes wandered across the surrounding greenery as if trying to re-kindle the memories of his last visit. "We were here under the command of the terrible Captain Ghalib. In groups of five we trespassed these cursed grounds in a hunt to destroy the weakened Nazaar. You have never seen a Captain quite like Ghalib. He was a huge man, nearly seven feet tall, his face was hardened, sea-worn and half hidden in a magnificent beard. He had broad muscular shoulders and a mighty gait. When he stomped across deck in a rage, everyone.. I mean, everyone knew about it! They scrambled to get out of his way and woe betide the sailor who aroused the Captain's wrath! The poor mite was either slapped in irons in the dingiest cell or dragged on a rope through the salty sea!" Sinbad tilted his head."But brawn wasn't the only thing about Captain Ghalib, he was also a master tactician. He had a cunning mind that always kept abreast of unique opportunities to rake in the profits. He was in it for the money- something he made very clear to every merchant,Sultan or Caliph he had ever partnered with- He could be extremely ruthless,Maeve..as brutal as a battering ram!"

"You sound as though you were _afraid_ of him",said Maeve, a smile escaping her lips.

"Oh I was", admitted Sinbad, relaxing his features, just a little,to laugh. "_I was afraid of him_."

"Aww",crooned the sorceress, teasingly. "And here I was thinking that you were the Captain's pet. Brave little Sinbad!"

Sinbad laughed even more and started to reply when Doubar interrupted,

"Shouldn't we keep moving, Sinbad?"

"Right! Of course!", replied Sinbad, jumping up to his feet and dusting his palms from dirt. Maeve pulled on her leather glove and called back Dermott who had flown above to stretch his wings. "I'm not sure if I would go so far as to call myself 'The Captain's pet' ",began Sinbad in modest protest.

"Ohhh, I'm sure you were", chortled Maeve, impishly. She gave Sinbad's cheek a friendly pinch and pushed past him to join the others.

_"See, I was the one who eventually killed him"_

**"What?!"** Maeve spun around, in utter astonishment. She thought the last words she'd heard were said in jest. But Sinbad looked extremely grave.

"I killed Ghalib.",he stated in simple truth. "He didn't give me any choice. He had partnered with the devil himself-Nazaar, the pirate-lord of the Seven Seas"

* * *

By sundown,Sinbad and his crew reached a steep,natural ridge-line bending in a rugged half-circle through the trees. The forest seemed to descend abruptly down from there to the mouth of a lonely cave. Sinbad flattened himself against his side of the ridge-line, his sword unsheathed in his right hand. He peered hard over the rocks. The others followed his example, except Rongar who held watch the other way to thwart any sneak attacks from behind. "Just what are we looking for?", questioned Doubar in a hoarse whisper.

"Anything - any sign of life!",hissed Sinbad. His eyes burned like gimlets in fierce determination to run Nazaar to the ground.

As they waited in bated breath, the sounds of the forest seemed to grow louder and stronger -all around them. The sudden eerie rustling of the leaves, the ghostly thud of a fallen branch or fruit, the steady rush of an animal furiously pursuing its trail.

"Why do I get this doubt if we are watching the forest or the forest is watching us?",complained Doubar, uncomfortably.

Firouz felt a shiver run down his spine and he glanced up to see a huge yellow and black beetle with fat antennae, slowly inching up his leg! He swallowed a yell and tried to shake it off. Dermott flew to his rescue and gulped down the beetle in a flash! "Thank you,Dermott",nodded Firouz,in relief.

Once the last rays of the sun faded completely beyond the trees, Sinbad shuffled upright and fitted his sword back in his sheath. He looked disappointed. "All right, we'll set camp here. Rongar and I will take the first watch-"  
"What's your plan,little brother?",asked Doubar,anxiously.  
"That cave is the entrance to Nazaar's hideaway. Unfortunately it is sealed by magic and can be opened only by a specific incantation."  
"You mean like from the time when we went to rescue Jhaeel.. across the valley of the Colossus?",asked Firouz, interestedly. He nodded to Maeve who returned an attentive gaze.  
"Exactly!", agreed Sinbad.  
"So, how do we get inside?"  
"Nazaar trusts no one but himself! So, naturally he doesn't keep an entire crew about him. Instead there are one or two low-lives who run errands for him in and out of the cave. When one of them appears, we've got to nab him and wring the spell out of him!"  
"If there is any neck-wringing to be done, I'd only be too glad to do it, Sinbad!", promised Doubar empathetically. "And head-bashing too! It's been a while since I exercised these knuckles!" Firouz dissolved into muted chuckles and even Sinbad had to smile at his brother's enthusiasm for a good fight!.

* * *

That night, Maeve tossed and turned more than usual on her makeshift bed of leaves and twigs. In her troubled sleep, she had managed to roll her rug into a ball and the pointy end of a stray stick had gashed her quite painfully on her knee. She rubbed at the wound. Her face contorted with pain and irritability. The small fire had died out and through the darkness, she could make out the forms of Doubar and Firouz, fast asleep. She tried to close her eyes, but sleep just wouldn't come. She was far too excited. Her mind kept wandering over the incantations of Nazaar. No one just dabbled in the dark arts, unless they were also part-alchemist and fully familiar with the different ingredients used to make the potions. Her respect for Nazaar's abilities were on the rise. He must have been an imposing villain to come against! She got up to her feet and walked along the ridge. Sinbad saw her approaching and stiffened. "What is it?",he asked.  
"I couldn't sleep",groaned Maeve, crouching down next to him. "This wait is killing me. I wish my knowledge of magic could help us just now!"  
"Plenty of opportunity for that tomorrow,Maeve. Don't you worry!"  
"Did you see anyone yet?"  
"Not a soul!",sighed Sinbad in gloom.  
"Perhaps Doubar and Firouz will have better luck during the next watch" Maeve put one hand up on Sinbad's shoulder and hoisted herself back up. She saw Rongar a few meters away and he was also in a crouching position behind a thick foliage of leaves. "I'll return to the camp now"

Maeve tried to stay light on her feet but her efforts were to no avail. Her boots still made that annoying crunching sound because of all the dead leaves. She stopped and looked back curiously. Strange! She had been walking for sometime now and the camp still didn't appear in sight. "I couldn't have lost my way now, could I?",she wondered incredulously to herself. She heard Dermott's screech and the flapping of wings. "Dermott, over here!",called Maeve in a loud whisper. She put out her arm and the hawk perched on it. "Am I glad to see you!",she mumbled, running her fingers protectively through her brother's crest. She prided herself on her common sense and independence, but there were times when she was happy to have a friend beside her. Especially in queer surroundings like this cursed forest!

The pillars of trees around her seemed like the sinewy calf muscles of giants! The face of the moon was criss-crossed with dead branches so that very few moonbeams filtered through. Maeve dutifully kept along the ridge-line, knowing full well that she should have been at their camp several moments ago! She stopped in frustration. She could hardly make out anything in the gloom. Why, oh why had she strolled out on a whim in the first place? She couldn't very well yell out her predicament. Nazaar would love that! Maeve collected herself and angrily bit her lip. She was determined to dig her way out of her troubles. She considered conjuring up a fireball.. a hopefully inconspicuous one.. hopefully. Maeve shook her head and dropped the idea. She was clearly over-thinking this. The camp would be just ahead. Maybe she had even walked past Doubar and Firouz without realizing it! With a smile, she retraced her steps down the path.

Quite suddenly that feeling of an evil presence came hard upon her senses. Maeve's foot slipped and she stumbled forward clumsily. **"Who's there?"**,she called out at once. She grit her teeth and pulled out a fireball.** "Watch out, whoever you are... I won't hesitate to use this!"** A sharp wind moaned through the lowest branches of the trees and the rustling sound that followed seemed like mocking cackles. Maeve gazed up in bewilderment. It seemed like the woods were laughing at her. Suddenly she felt exactly how that Captain on the ship from Aquaba felt. A sense of impending doom. Something huge and black was fast descending upon her. To her immense astonishment, the fireball on her arm just died out as if some invisible fingers had pinched out the flame. Dermott screeched loudly and spread his wings menacingly. He was extremely agitated since he sensed danger as well!. Maeve instantly pulled out her sword and began to back up towards a tree. She looked wildly this way and that, clearly frustrated with the poor visibility! A trickle of sweat dropped down from her forehead to her cheek.

She knew that something was about to happen very soon.

She was about to deal with the enemy!

Her heart was pounding hard.

Her foot snagged on a low rising root and she fell over backwards. A large rippling pool appeared behind her as she lost her footing and swallowed her up out of sight!


	3. Sinbad, the Cabin Boy

**Chapter 3: Sinbad, the cabin boy**

Maeve wheeled her arms and kicked against imaginary resistance. She felt sickened by the sensation of endless falling. She knew she was under the grip of some powerful spell._ But who was the mysterious spell-caster? And why was she the chosen target?_ Suddenly her feet punched into the ground! Good _solid_ ground! She tripped up and tumbled over and over along a slope that was moist and covered in dead leaves. _She couldn't stop!_ The impact sent her careening like a wooden barrel across the deck of a tossing ship. She cannoned violently into someone who sat huddled under the shadow of the trees.

**"Hey, watch it! What do you think you're doing?!**", yelled the voice in a frenzied whisper.

The collision left Maeve and the shadowy stranger on the ground in a tangled heap of arms and legs. The sorceress gave an angry roar and tried to bounce up to her feet. But she couldn't move. She was pinned under the weight of her assailant and could hardly raise her head. She growled and kicked out fiercely. Her boot made swinging contact with the assailant's head and he moaned out in pain.

**"Get off me, you big lummox!"**, she hollered, arching her shoulders up and straining to twist and pull herself out. She rained fierce blows with her fists. Her assailant struggled up in silent haste and pushed down Maeve as she tried to stand up right behind him. She got the wind knocked out of her as she plopped down on her rump and the next second, she felt a blunt blade pressed against her throat. The assailant cautioned her in a harsh whisper. **"Just shut up, or you'll get us both killed!"** Maeve panted hard from the struggle. But for the first time she realized that she could indeed identify the voice that addressed her._ It was Sinbad! _She blinked hard, feeling extremely puzzled. _What was he doing?_ The knife disappeared and in its place a rough hand clamped tight across her mouth. She squirmed but her hands were already secured behind her back! The assailant pushed her head backwards and studied her face in the moonlight. He himself remained in shadows.

"Why you're just a little girl!", he spat aghast. "You're lucky I didn't hit you back!. How'd you get on the island?"

Maeve rolled her eyes and mumbled under his hand. If this was a game,she was getting tired of it, real fast!. She relaxed her guard and morosely wondered why Sinbad couldn't recognize her. She gave a half-hearted tug at her bonds and gave up. "Okay, I'm gonna remove my hand..", continued Sinbad, in an annoyingly discreet tone. "-But if you scream, I swear I'll gag you!"

Sinbad withdrew his hand and Maeve looked up. She saw Sinbad's silhouette -the crown of wavy brown hair that characterized his head. But for some reason it didn't quite look the same. Meanwhile ,the moon decided to leave the clouds to make a solo appearance. So for once the forest was flooded with moonbeams and Maeve stared dumbfounded as Sinbad's face came clearly into view. She was completely flabbergasted!. The same brown hair, blue eyes, red bandana and costume to match. _But Sinbad looked as young as fifteen!_

_"What kind of trickery is this?!",_gasped Maeve, in fright. **"Sinbad!"**

"Shhh! Hey,not so loud!",scolded the boy-sailor at once. He leaned back in surprise, taking a moment or two to digest the fact that the strange girl actually knew his name. "Hey, you know me!", he exclaimed with a spontaneous grin. "That's flattering.. in a weird way but I don't remember you." Sinbad plopped down next to her and cut the bonds that secured her wrists. He sighed to himself. "Great! I pray for a girlfriend all those days in the high seas and I bump into one, right in the middle of trouble! Now that's what I call bad timing-"

_"Girlfriend?!"_,sneered Maeve, scornfully. _"In your dreams!" _Then another thought hit her. "Wait a second!" She nervously ran her hands over her cheeks. Her skin felt a little oily and her fingers traced a few freckles on her nose. Her hair seemed to have grown thicker and longer right down to her waist! "Oh no!", she moaned angrily. "I've changed as well!"

"You _are_ a weird one", laughed Sinbad. "Okay now I wasn't kidding before. You've gotta shut up,okay? We are here on important business! No intruder breaks into Capn. Ghalib's camp during Sinbad's watch!"

Suddenly they heard a hawk chwirping and out from the darkness, Dermott flew confidently to Maeve's arm.

"And you are getting weirder by the minute!", snorted Sinbad, grudgingly impressed by the magnificent bird. "Is he yours?"

"Yes!", replied Maeve, kissing Dermott affectionately on his feathery head. "He's mine" She closed her eyes, momentarily content that her brother was right beside her to share in her maddening troubles!

* * *

Maeve carefully observed her surroundings. The same ridge-line, the same haunting trees and dead leaves on the ground. _She was still in that accursed forest!_ The only glaring difference was, she and Sinbad seemed to have grown _younger_!

Dawn was slowly creeping up on them. The first streams of daylight began tingeing the horizon. But the forest was still very much immersed in darkness. The cave view seemed to have improved. Maeve could make out the entrance. Still, there was not a soul in sight. She studied Sinbad. He mentioned Captain Ghalib and his stakeout here. They were supposed to have a camp somewhere about this forest as well. So, she had actually travelled back in time to the first instance when Sinbad had arrived at the island to hunt down Nazaar the pirate! She frowned hard, recalling her lessons on time travel. She knew about inter-dimensional travel. But time-travel! She was a little rusty on that subject. Sure, she'd been through portals before. The valley of the Colossus, her own portal in the Isle of Dawn! They were all conjured beautifully to keep trespassers out! But this was a _time portal_! An entirely different creation of magic! _And she somehow had to find a way to get back!_ She rose up in a thoughtful trance. She must first find the exact spot from which she appeared. She could walk down the ridge, tracing her footsteps-

Sinbad reached up with a yelp and pulled her down by the wrist.

"Hey, didn't I make myself clear?", he reprimanded."If the rest of the crew knew about you, they wouldn't hesitate to barter you off to the next passing galley ship! I'm trying to save both our hides here! Now, sit down!"

Maeve closed her eyes in exasperation. She wriggled her wrist free from Sinbad's hold. "Will. you. please. STOP. touching. me!?..!", she hissed, fiercely.

Sinbad's eyes softened and he looked beseechingly at her. "Look, my watch ends with the dawn and after that, you can go wherever you want, okay? Just don't get me into trouble!"

"Fine!", answered the sorceress in irritation. She dropped down on her knees next to Sinbad and watched the mouth of the cave. Then a thought struck her. She turned to Sinbad, with a patiently-chiding tone that begged the exercise of reason,

"Aren't you the least bit curious how I, a complete stranger am able to call you by your name? How I know so many things about you? Your brother Doubar? Your home in Baghdad? How did I know so much? Where did I come from when I barged into you the way I did-"

Sinbad gazed at her warily."Yes, you said my name right and Doubar is indeed the name of my beloved older brother. But!" His eyes narrowed in mischief. He winked at her much to her chagrin."You also babbled that I was a Captain, piloting my "own" ship - the..the..umm.. Nomad? You said that I was extremely wealthy from helping the Caliph of Baghdad and Basra-"

"Allright", cut in Maeve, coldly. "Maybe all those facts wouldn't be relevant to you since you are still a boy!"

"Facts!", guffawed Sinbad, scornfully shaking his head. "Just listen to yourself! You are a loony with an attitude, you know that?"

"My name is Maeve and I -"

**"Shh! LOOK!"**

Sinbad put out a hand to silence Maeve and bobbed his head in feverish expectation. The wall of the cave had begun to shimmer! A mighty, bear of a man - very much answering to Sinbad's earlier description- stepped out in grand theatricality. Grinding his booted feet to the ground, Ghalib smirked complacently to himself and surveyed the edge of the ridge-line. His eyes locked onto Sinbad's who stood up straight and gave a proud salute. Sinbad's expression conveyed that he had stayed alert at his post and could be trusted with further, far-challenging duties. Ghalib slowly nodded, pleased with his cabin boy's implicit obedience.

Meanwhile, Maeve scampered down for fear of being seen. It now struck her that she was indeed very much an intruder in this timeline and the less people knew about her the better!

Once Captain Ghalib disappeared from view, Sinbad shuffled out from his post and prepared to leave for camp. "The Captain had looked pleased! He must have defeated Nazaar!", he exulted, happily. Sinbad looked around but Maeve was nowhere to be seen. He took one look in the direction of the Captain's footsteps. His duties lay there and the camp would be agog with the news of Captain Ghalib's latest triumph!. Still, he longed to talk to that red-haired girl one last time. So with a sigh, he walked down the opposite direction in search of Maeve. He found her, on her hands and knees, furiously patting the mounds of dead leaves upon every rise of land.

"What are you doing?", he queried, skeptically.

"I'm trying to find the entrance to the time portal!"

"Wha- time portal?!" Sinbad doubled over in laughter.

"Look, if you don't want to help me, then get out of my way.", ticked off Maeve,rudely.

"Fine! I just wanted to say that I was headed back to camp." Sinbad saw the frustration on Maeve's face and felt a bit ashamed. True this girl had a lot of spunk and an amazing hawk for a friend which made her a unique person to know. He wished he could have gotten to know her better. Her brown eyes were actually quite pretty along with that flaming mane of red hair. She might actually look very beautiful if she smiled.

"Goodbye Maeve", he said with genuine sadness. Maeve looked up and caught those blue eyes staring at her. Sinbad started to turn away when she caught his arm and whirled him around. "Look, you've got to help me find the portal, Sinbad. I've got to get back.", she pressed, emphatically. "If.. if only I could make you understand! Captain Ghalib is not all he seems. Don't trust him! _He's gonna help Nazaar in the end!"_

"Come on,Maeve-", smiled Sinbad, shaking his head at her words. "You've got a wild imagination! But you know.." He drew nearer to her. "those words you said about me becoming a Captain and having my own ship. I thought that was very sweet,Maeve. It's been my dream. I haven't told a soul about it" Sinbad hesitated and smiled again. He held out his arm for a handshake. "It was nice running into you like this. I've been out at sea since twelve and it gets a little lonely sometimes."

Maeve slipped her hand into his. She desperately wished Sinbad would take her claims seriously and help her find the portal. But alas, he wasn't believing a word she was saying.

"I..I'm just sorry I have to leave like this-"-blurted Sinbad. He nodded vigorously and then summoning his courage, he suddenly pulled her forward and his lips locked onto hers in an awkward kiss. Maeve pulled back shocked and kicked him hard in the stomach. Sinbad doubled over, this time in pain. He winced in anguish but there also appeared an expansive grin on his face.

"Hey, it was worth it!", he assured in a hoarse whisper. Then gently nursing his side, he managed one parting wink and stuttered off in the direction of his camp.

Maeve angrily glared after him.


	4. A New Score

**Chapter 4: A New Score**

_"I despise that little schemer!"_, spat Qatal, angrily caressing the stout curved _khanjar_ in his hands. "Just who does he think he is? I have been unchallenged warrior on board Ghalib's Sea Claw for over five years! And now this Sinbad dares to make fun of me! Ohhh, one day he will pay dearly for his insolence! One day I will stand gloating over his lifeless body!" Qatal clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Aaaah, the green-eyed monster! So, the antics of a lowly cabin boy kindle such admirable jealously, eh?! Then perhaps your fears are justified. Sinbad_ must be_ better than you!" Zalim gave a pugnacious smirk. He sneered loftily at the quivering beard of Qatal and jeered, **"You are a fool,Qatal!" **With a laugh of derision, he pushed off in the direction of the traps. Zalim relished every opportunity to play his mind-games. And Qatal provided him with so many opportunities! Qatal knew he was being played but years of pent-up insecurity blinded him to his foolishness. He gnashed his teeth in bitterness and trudged after Zalim.

"You think you are so clever", he retorted weakly.

"Oh, I don't think, my friend", replied Zalim, smugly. "I am" His eyebrows shot up in triumph and he lifted from the traps, a large wild rabbit that still had some fight left in it. It kicked and squirmed desperately for life.

"I am still the master here ",growled Qatal, at last remembering his prowess. In one swift motion,he pulled out his khanjar and slit the unfortunate animal's throat. "Don't you forget it!"

Zalim returned a leveled gaze. Qatal licked the blood off his blade and wordlessly turned back to camp. "You have made the kill.", said Zalim more to himself than anybody else. "Yet we often see that the one who sets the traps remains the true master!"

* * *

Ghalib arrived inhaling the delicious smell of roast rabbit on a spit. His five most trusted members of the crew gathered around to acknowledge his imposing presence. The expression of solidarity on the Captain's swarthy face told them that things had turned out according to plan. That was all any of them ever cared. That and the weight of the money purse they would soon receive! "Prepare to leave for the ship!", declared Ghalib before lowering himself down by the rocks and stretching out his aching legs. He was about to remove his vest when Sinbad quickly scampered to his side. "Let me help you, Captain", he said, taking off the heavy vest and also gathered the Captain's sword, dagger and the knife he kept concealed in his boot. "I'll clean these for you. I know of a rock pool that is full of fresh spring water. I'll fill our water skins as well" Sinbad smiled and set off with the weapons. On his way past the spit, he saw that the rabbit had been cooked and carefully extracted the fleshiest piece for the Captain's plate. He ran to Ghalib with the food. "You must be starved Captain", he said, caringly.

Qatal glowered silently from the side. Personally, he thought the Captain could have fetched his own meal. He'd been doing just that the year before Sinbad came along. Why make such a fuss now. Qatal himself wouldn't have stooped so low. He was a man of status. True, he was also a sailor. But he was so much more. A warrior and right-hand man to Ghalib. Qatal looked infuriated . Then why was Ghalib encouraging the little mutt! _Why was he asking more and more for Sinbad's opinion during his voyages? Why was he pushing Qatal to the side?_

"Little suck-up!", he jeered in a tone dripping with contempt.

When Sinbad set the meal, Ghalib smiled and reached for his side pocket. He thumbed out an object and pressed it into Sinbad's hand. Sinbad opened his palm and was stunned to see that it was a large gold piece! He held it up in awe! He had his wages paid out to him but this was the first time he received something other than copper coins. The other crew members were amused spectators to his joy. Everyone except Qatal that is. One look at the gold in Sinbad's hand and he tore angrily away from the camp.

"Spend it on yourself at our next port", said Ghalib affectionately.

"Thank you, sir! I will!", replied Sinbad. With an extra spring in his step, he pocketed the coin and left in search of his rock pool. As soon as Sinbad left, Ghalib's eyes searched for Zalim. "After I eat", he said. "You and I will take a little walk. I have a few things to discuss" Zalim nodded in reply.

* * *

Ghalib left the camp as soon as he had his meal. No one took much notice of him since they were all busy packing up for their return. Zalim followed after a beat, keeping to the trees until he was well away from any prying eye that might have traced his path in curiosity. He found the Captain waiting for him under a shelter of rocks in an inconspicuous spot in the forest. He drew closer, his curiosity fanned by the cryptic expression on the Captain's face. Zalim was a good reader of minds and he liked to think that this helped him understand the Captain's thoughts much better than any of the other crew-mates. But the real reason was because he was as cunning as the old devil himself! A solitary doubt nagged the back of Zalim's own mind. He hesitated and confirmed,

"You have indeed settled our score, eh Captain?"

Ghalib turned to Zalim and sputtered, "Better!" His eyes gleamed in strange light. "I've done better!" He lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper. "I've got us a new score!" Zalim considered this statement in a mixture of shock and wonder. But he had to clear out something first. He ventured carefully almost disbelievingly, "Nazaar is alive?"

Ghalib did not reply.

Zalim let out a long breath and pondered on the implications. If Ghalib did not slay Nazaar, then they wouldn't be getting those sacks of gold that the Caliph had promised. So, if sacks of gold weren't enough to tempt the wily Captain to finish the job, then something even bigger must have caught his eye. Something bigger than sacks of gold! The derived knowledge brought a gleam in his eye as well.

"Lay a course to Basra. Our new voyage will not be easy and I need a special man to do the task!"

"Qatal might-"

"Oh, **the devil take Qatal!",**snapped Ghalib in anger. "After his betrayal at Oman.. he still thinks I don't know of his underhanded dealings with my clients..I am keeping aboard him the Sea Claw only as long as I can use him for an advantage. No! We find someone else. Someone who can fetch us the moon and the stars. I will find this one...this hero.. by divination. I knew where the darkest witches hide!"

"You speak in riddles, Captain"

"Riddles are enough for now.", retorted Ghalib. He pulled closer to his crewman. "If we settle this score, then I promise you.. we can retire to the wealthiest corner in the whole of Arabia and perhaps buy an island or two in the blink of an eye! How would you like to have your own spice plantations and silk farms? Or maybe own a mine or two? Perhaps hunt for ivory during your spare time?"

"Basra it is,sir!", said Zalim, cheered immensely by his Captain's words. They were in for one hell of a ride!

Maeve wordlessly indicated to Dermott to keep as still as possible. The Captain and his confidant must not know of her presence behind the rock shelter. She had heard every word. The Sea Claw was headed to Basra and that is where she must go as well. Maeve realized by now that the portal's entrance was too well hidden for her to figure out alone. She needed help and Sinbad wasn't giving any of it. She must sneak on board the Sea Claw and travel to Basra herself. Once there, she can trace out Caipra. Caipra will surely help her return to the future! Maeve waited in bated breath until both men had left back to camp. Then she twisted out of her hiding place and made it as fast as she could to the shoreline. She knew that only a skeleton crew would be on the Sea Claw and by sheer willpower she convinced herself that she could indeed stowaway on Ghalib's magnificent ship! Sending Dermott ahead, she threw herself into the salty waters and began her arduous journey to the deep.

* * *

Just as they finished packing up, Sinbad felt a hand on his shoulder and looked around to see the cat-like face of Qatal. "You think of yourself as a fighter.. I have seen you practice by yourself during the watches of the night. How would you like to make a little wager?"

"What kind of a wager?", asked Sinbad, warily. Qatal was one of the few men he disliked on sight. It wasn't his snide remarks or poorly disguised jealousy. Sinbad hated Qatal because of his snobbery. Qatal liked others to treat him as if he were a Prince or the son of a wealthy Vizier. Sure he had excellent fighting skills and was gifted once with a khanjar encased in bejeweled ivory. But that prize only served to further showcase his "greatness". He acted like a peacock and expected to be worshiped. Several times in the high seas, Sinbad had to do all he could to resist the impulse to punch Qatal right in his face!

"That new gold piece in your purse-",continued Qatal, with the grin that was growing sickening every moment, plastered on his face. "How would you like to earn four more? It would make a tidy round sum and fetch a lot more market value-"

"What do I have to do?"

"Fight me. A fair sword-fight! The master versus the..er.. skilled cabin boy- What do you say?"

Sinbad smiled to himself. Qatal had actually called him "skilled". Boy, he must really be desperate for a fight. "All right", he agreed. "But I don't have a sword!"

"You can use Aareef's. Now, shall we place our coins in a common place, eh?" Qatal pulled out his own broadsword an eagerly stepped into the imaginary ring. "Shall we begin?"

The clash of the swords rang out. Qatal planned to play around with Sinbad and make the boy grow tired. Then when his guard is down, he'd really fight. He'd teach that little wretch a thing or two about challenging the master. Who knows? Perhaps he might accidentally rip the boy's heart out as well. Poor Sinbad! His false sense of bravado would be his undoing! The crewmates followed this impromptu "battle of the blades" with interest. It was excellent entertainment for them!

Sinbad was extremely light on his feet. He also had good balance which was unusual considering his lack of formal training! He hardly attacked at all! Qatal gave a roar of frustration and charged ahead like a mad bull. Sinbad cleverly side-stepped him and Qatal nearly crashed headlong into a tree. A grin spread across the young lad's face which outraged the "master". **"How dare you!",**he seethed, whirling around at once. He decided to break through this boy's defense through brute force. He dealt a few blows and then flourished his blade. Immediately Sinbad sensed his advantage and landed a flattening blow on Qatal's back. The sword went flying and the fight was over! Qatal, breathless with the exertion stared disbelieving at Sinbad's blade which was pointed directly at his throat. The crew members were already cheering at the top of their voices. Sinbad casually walked over to the five gold pieces and pocketed them with pride. Only then did he lower his sword and hand it over to Aareef. "Thank you",he said as politely as he could. "Its been a real pleasure!" The sailors laughed once again and Sinbad couldn't help smiling over his victory.

Qatal never took his eyes off that smile on the cabin boys face. It seemed to jeer at him. Mocking him for his defeat. In fact, they were all mocking him. Their nasty, spiteful smiles.. They were taunting him.. ridiculing him.

That was the exact moment when Qatal realized that he must eventually kill Sinbad.


End file.
